San Pietro in Casale

San Pietro in Casale is a town in the Bolognese plain about 25 kilometres from the historic centre of Bologna. It owes its name to San Pietro, its patron saint, and ‘casale’ (farmhouse) from which the town developed.
Its territory lies between the Navile canal and the River Reno, more specifically in the area where the river turns sharply towards the south-east, and is characterised by a very varied plain. The area is dotted with manor houses, ancient rural buildings, several bell towers rising up from the plain, historic buildings and elegant Bolognese-style porticoes.
In the past, it was characterised by its cultivation of rice, which unfortunately today has almost completely disappeared.

San Pietro in Casale, a marshy area until a century ago, was reclaimed at the end of World War II. In the municipal territory is the Casone del Partigiano , a structure built between 1790 and 1850, in a marshy area that could be reached mainly by boat, but also thanks to paths or a footbridge that allowed connections with the surrounding area. It was used by partisans as a shelter during the Second World War and there were bloody battles with the retreating Germans in its surroundings during those years. From 1900 to 1950, the valley was reclaimed. Following the reclamation work, the Casone collapsed, but the partisans of the second “Paolo” brigade decided to rebuild it as a testimony. Today, the Casone represents a place of Peace between people but also between man and nature.
The green area has an area of 10 hectares and is home to around 1,500 plants belonging to 20 native species and various different animals. For example, we can find as many as 180 different species of butterflies and moths, including the Epilobium Sphinx (a rare moth protected throughout Europe).

In the centre of the town, on the other hand, there is the church of Saints Peter and Paul with its Romanesque bell-tower that reveals its ancient origins and the Casa Frabboni Museum, which hosts permanent exhibitions such as those dedicated to Guido Frabboni and Raimondo Rimondi and others for specific periods which are also interesting and worth visiting.